BLM seeking comments on land conveyance to State
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(MILES CITY, Mont.) – Under the Enabling Act of 1889, which admitted the State of Montana into the Union, the State was entitled to sections 16 and 36 of each township. However, some of those sections had already been settled by homesteaders, or set aside for other uses like forest reserves or railroad rights-of-way.
Congress allowed the state to submit applications for other available sections of public land instead. The State of Montana can select public lands under Bureau of Land Management jurisdiction – in lieu of lands it did not receive – in order to help support public schools. The BLM is responsible for satisfying the remaining $2,279,747 entitlement to the State of Montana.
As part of this effort, the BLM will be accepting public comments on an environmental assessment that analyzes the suitability of transferring federal acreage to the State of Montana. The comment period will end on June 5, 2018.
This EA addresses the suitability to convey just over 5,816.63 acres of land in Prairie, Custer, and Richland counties. The State of Montana and the BLM have been working together to complete the process and these parcels were part of a larger list of lands in which the State expressed interest, in a December 2015 application.
The EA and applicable maps and documents are available on the BLM ePlanning website at: http://go.usa.gov/xQxHZ .
Written comments on the EA should be addressed to: BLM Miles City Field Office Attn: Beth Klempel, 111 Garryowen Road, Miles City, MT 59301.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personally identifiable information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask the BLM in your comment to withhold your personally identifiable information from public review, the BLM cannot guarantee that they will be able to do so.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.